Numerically and physically balanced game playing die



Sept. 3, 1968 w. N. MITCHELL NUMERICALLY AND PHYSICALLY BALANCED GAMEPLAYING DIE Filed sept. a, 1965 mm wm um mm m N m QM E H o G 1Q M NT OOc o o It H NT O O Nw @o QT@ o S o N l l-\| QM, 4 x @NNN x vw .m ww mv 9vw. mw Q M. .um N .MQ "EB SQ m Q QEEQSSQ WQ mmv@ 2 n 4 Q @my WQQ S ,Sm.Sm M Q `WM .SS Q vx mmol mmol d i@ Q Qm tsm web@ m "SQ 4 1 m ,mv Q .N@MVQ Q v m m .N W nv\o .me a o \Ma\ .No .o N s Qik *mi iQ@ QQ, ,N QQ kbmA .\Nm\k\\ E ATE@ QQQ 25u ASQ .r M W wen QQ Qm n m .n v QSQSQ m N w n v.sa M

IN VENTOR.

BY xm/MW 19mm United States Patent O 3,399,897 NUMERICALLY ANDPHYSICALLY BALANCED GAME PLAYHNG DIE William N. lVIitchell, 2646Fairway, Visalia, Calif. 93277 Filed Sept. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 485,855 4Claims. (Cl. 273-146) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The concept hereindisclosed has to do with an octahedral die which is as nearly perfectlybalanced in a numerical and physical sense as is reasonably possible.The totals around all six (6) corners equal 18 and the sides 1 2, 3 4, 56 and 7 8 are opposed. When this die is cast from the hand and comes torest on a flat surface the facet or side facing skyward is opposed tothe unreadable downward side. Significantly, the same amount of materialis not taken from each Vside but from around a given reference point.This die is unique in that it is eight-sided and hassequentially-oriented dimpled pips which coordinate in totaling 18around any given corner.

The presentg/ention relates, generally categorized, to games of chancesuch as are customarily played with the aid of a pair of dice thrownfrom the participants hand or from a cup, and wherein the winning andlosing plays are evaluated on the upfacing total of the spots or pips onthe dice and has to do, more particularly, with a structurally andfunctionally unique die.

More particularly, the herein disclosed concept pertains to a die (oneof a pair of dice) which is structurally distinct and different fromprior art dice-like playing pieces in that instead of being cubicle orsome other geometrical shape, it has eight faces or facets and isotherwise made, geometrically interpreted, to represent an octahedronbody. Although the dimpled spots or pips which are displayed on theplane faces are not in and of themselves unusual, thej,l are, however,unique in that they are herein oriented and coordinated with each otherin an unusual sequential manner and when taken in conjunction with theinherent structural features give rise to and achieve significantly newand improved results.

Several species or embodiments of the generic concept are hereinrevealed and will be hereinafter set forth with particularity. Each die,generically construed, comprises a roliable octahedron-shaped bodyprovided with eight distributively arranged planar or plane faces andsix like or corresponding corners and wherein each face has at least onedimple providing a pip or spot, the latter being of a given shape andsize, being arranged numerically from 1 to 8 and each face beingbalanced in a physical sense and distinguishable, taking into accountthe number of pips or spots thereon, from every other face.

In carrying out the principles of the present invention each face orfacet is not only planar, it is triangular in outiine or plan and of anarea to support and sustain the die in a self-standing position when itcornes to rest atop a support surface subsequent to a throw or cast bythe player. One such face has a single pip or spot which is identifiedas 1, another one of the faces has a group of 8 pips and is identifiedas at 8, while the ones therebetween are marked and numbered from 2 to 7consecutively to the end when oriented and grouped in keeping with theconcept they are readable clockwise (starting from the corner) 1 4-5-8-and, starting from an opposite corner are readable eounterclockwise as 23-6-7.

It can be further mentioned by way of introduction that the three formsherein depicted as FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are characterized as (1) a regularoctahedron with lsharp ice edges and sharp corners (2) a regularoctahedron with rounded corners and sharp edges (3) a regular octahedronwith round-ed corners or beveled edges.

An objective of the instant concept is to develop a die which isprecision-balanced in a physical sense, that is, a die that is as nearlyperfectly designed and uniformly balanced as is possible. Thisachievement invokes the relative arrangement of pips and the triangularsides or facets as hereinafter set forth in detail. With such capabilitythe net result of the unique arrangement is that there is a total of 18pips oriented with each other and around every corner thus achievingrequisite balance. As a matter of fact, the improved die totals aroundall six (6) corners equal 18 and the sides 1 2, 3 4, 5 6, and 7 8 areopposed. Accordingly, when the die is cast or rolled from ones hand andcomes to rest on a flat playing surface the side facing skyward isopposed to the unreadable downward side.

As will be hereinafter more fully appreciated the irnproved dice can beaptly used not only in association with the diagrammatically illustrateddealers layout chart herein disclosed but cup dice games for examplestop dice, boss dice and many other similar games; can be used inpopular games for children and adults such as Monopoly, Careers and thelike, as well as a game currently known as Chuck-A-Luck, simply byrevising the odds to conform with the herein disclosed type of S-Sidedgaming device.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numetals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a plan view of the diagrammatic chart sometimes referred toas a dealers layout and which is herein disclosed to facilitateunderstanding approximately how in at least one gam-e it is involved inthe use of the novel dice herein disclosed and described.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view, that is a view showing the upper fourtriangulate sides of a regular octahedron characterized by sharp edgesand sharp corners.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view corresponding to FIGURE 2 of a regularoctahedron with rounded corners and sharp radial edges.

FIGURE 4 is a similar plan view showing a correspending regularoctahedron with rounded corners and convexly rounded radial slopingedges.

By way of introduction to the description of the details it is to bementioned that three modifications have been shown and may be regardedas either a top plan or bottom plan, it being understood that a regularoctahedron or correspondingly geometric type of body has eight sides andsix corners and that the upper half is exactly the same as the lowerhalf except for the spots or pips. The improved die shown in FIGURE 2 isdenoted as an entity by the numeral 6 and is characterized by four sharppointed corners 7, 8, 9, and 10 having converging radial straight edgesor lines 11, 12, 13 and 14- cooperable therewith and merging into thepinnacle point 16.

The marginal or bordering lines forming the base of each triangle arestraight and denoted in each instance by the numeral 17 whereby to thusdefine four of the eight triangular facets or faces denoted at 18, 20,22 and 24 respectively. The triangulate face 18 is provided centrallywith a single dimple-type spot or pip 26. In the area or facet 20 thereare four pips 28, five pips 30 in the sector or area 22 and eight pips32 in a nal sector or facet 24. It follows that the spots or pipsrepresent the desired numbers 1 8 inclusive. They are arranged in such amanner that looking from one corner they read clockwise 1 4 5-8.

With reference now to the modication showing the 3 bottom four sidedhalf of the octahedron die 6A in FIG- URE 3, the corner portions insteadof being sharp as in FIGURE 2, are rounded or convex and areconveniently designated at 34, 36, 38 and 40 respectively which inconjunction with the four straight marginal edges 42 and the upwardlyinwardly converging straight sharp edges 44, merging into the convexpoint 46 define the forward distinguishable triangular facets (faces orsectors) conveniently denoted at 48, 50, S2 and 54 respectively. In thisarrangement there are two pips 56 within the marginal limits of thefacet 48 and (going counterelockwise) three pips 58 in the area or facet54, six denoted at 56 in the sector 52 and seven denoted at 58 in thesector 50. When this manne-r of predetermining and locating the spots isfollowed in the two forms shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 it will be evidentthat the four sides or faces adjacent any corner of the die, when addedtogether will total 18. The same result will be obtained if the samenumbers or spots (FIGURE 2) are run eounterclockwise and the spots ornumbers in FIGURE 3 are run clockwise. Both types of playing pieces 6and 6A are designed to be cast from the hand, rolled from the cup, usedin many ways the dice are used. They can be made in various sizes,colors and of various materials that dice are made of. They can be usedalone or in groups of two or more.

The same principle is carried out in the embodiment showing the bottomfour sided half of the die 6B in FIGURE 4. Here the rounded convexcorners are denoted at 58, 60, 62 and 64, the marginal outer perimeteredges at 65 all the way around, and the convex suitably bluntedpinnacle, denoted at 69 is provided with outwardly and downwardlydiverging straight but convexly chamfered edges which are convenientlyreferred to here each by the numeral 65. The four triangular faces aredenoted at 70, 71, 72 and 74. The spots or pips are arranged in thisform of the invention exactly as in the showing in FIG. 2 andconveniently referred to merely by the numeral 76 to avoid repetitionand they are in the same order shown in FIG. 3 and already described.

This game is generally similar to a house or bank crap game. It isdesigned to be used only where gambling is legal. This game is new andvaries from a regular house crap game in the following ways:

(l.) This game uses 8 sided dice instead of 6 sided dice.

(2) The numbers 13, 14, 15 and 16 do not appear anywhere on a crap tableand cannot be thrown with a pair of dice.

(3) The number 9 in this game is a natural instead of the number 7,which is a natural in a crap game.

(4) The number 16 in this game is a missout instead of the number 12,which is a missout in a crap game.

The layout FIGURE 1 shows a double side dealer layout. This layout canalso be made into a single dealer, double dealer, or double end dealerlayout merely by changing the positions of the various places forbetting. The play and the game remains the same.

The odds sho-wn on this layout can be varied on another layout to givethe house a higher or lower percentage as desired. The numbers in thefield may be changed to give the house a higher or lower percentage.Additional betting places may be added to the table for additionalone-roll bets, or two and three-roll bets.

The odds on all bets are in favor of the house. The percentage in favorof the house on this layout runs from 1.0814% to 15.625%, `depending onwhere the -bet is placed. On this or any other layout the favorablepercentage, on any and all bets, should remain with the house.

Briefly, it is to be explained that any number of persons can play whenusing the game pieces herein shown and described. The player throwingthe dice is the shooter and the dice pass around in a circular path tothe left, that is in the usual clockwise manner. The dice are cast fromthe hand and the two numbers that face skyward when the dice come torest, added together, are the deciding number.

In general, this game is played like a regular house or bank crap gamewith the number 9 taking the place of number 7 and the number 16 takingthe place of number 12. Standard house rules would apply on all phasesof the game not covered herein. It is believed that it is unnecessary togo into considerable detail in respect to each of the Zoned areas of thediagram illustrated in FIGURE 1 inasmuch as the legends are thought tobe self-explanatory and since the game is played more or ess alonggenerally well directed lines it has been decided to omit thestep-by-step play. For example, without going into detail it will beclear that the shooters iirst roll, and each roll after a decision hasbeen effected, is a comeout. When the shooter misses on the point, thedice pass to the next player on his left and it becomes his turn toshoot. The shooter may pass to the next player on completion of anydecision without waiting to missout on the point if he wishes. Anyplayer may, if he likes, refuses to shoot in his turn and pass the diceto the next player, and so on.

It will bc further clear that the sharp edged, sharp cornered andpointed die 6 in FIGURE 2 is primarily designed for use in conjunctionwith the diagram shown in FIGURE 1 wherein the same is displayed on afelt covered `and suitably padded table. This construction or form willroll satisfactorily on such a soft surface. Having sharp edges andcorners, it will be hard to make the dice crooked. This is to say, anyalteration of this particular style or form of die would be fairly easyto detect. For this reason it is regarded as a significant contributionto the art of dice.

Except for the rounded corners 34-40 in the embodiment of the die inFIGURE 3 it is much the same as the die 6 of FIGURE 2 and it is acompromise in construction between the type shown in FIGURE 2 and thetype shown in FIGURE 4 in that it will roll satisfactorily andacceptably in a fairly hard surface because of the rounded or convexcorners 34-40. The type or form shown in FIGURE 4 is designed for use onhard surfaces such as the table or bar top. It will roll well cast byhand -or out of a cup onto a hard surface.

It is reiterated that inasmuch as the novelty is herein under advisementto reside in a single improved die or a pair of dice wherein each dieIis basically the same in construction it is not deemed either necessaryor advisable to fully develop the aspect of the disclosure hav ing to dowith FIGURE 1 and involving the betting, that is, place bets and the artother than already briey touched upon. It is submitted that a carefulconsideration of the invention claimed and as covered specificallyrelative to FIGURES 2 to 4 inclusive, will clarify the nature of thesubject matter and character of the advance in the art set forth.Therefore, a more extended description of the details is deemed to beunnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles oftheinvention. Further, since numerous modications and changes will readilyoccur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit theinvention to the exact construction and operation shown and described,and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in playing a game of chance: an improved die constituting oneof a pair of dice and comprising, a rollable octahedron-shaped bodyprovided with eight distributively arranged planar faces and six likecorners, each face having at least one dimpled pip of a given shape andsize, all of said pips being alike and ranging numerically from one pipeto eight pips and each face being distinguishable, by the number ofbalanced pips thereon, from every other face, each face being triangularand of the same triangulate dimension in plane, one face having a singledimpled pip, another one of said faces having eight dimpled pips, andthe other complemental faces interposed therebetween being likewiseequipped with corresponding dimpled pips ranging from two pips to sevenpips consecutively, the orientation of the coordinating pips being suchthat they are arranged and are readable clockwise, starting from onecorner, 1-4-5-8 and, starting from :an opposite corner, they arereadable counterclockwise 2-3-6-7, wherein the first-named sequence1-4-5-8 is oriented and coordinated with the second-named sequence2-3-6-7 in such a manner that faces identifiable as 1 and 2 are opposed;faces 3 and 4 are opposed; faces 5 and 6 are opposed; and faces 7 and 8are opposed, whereby with the over-all complemental lfaces soconstructed, the pips on any four triangular faces adjacent to any givencorner, when added together, will total 18.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an improved rollable dieconstituting one of the usually used pa-ir of dice, said die comprisinga uniformly balanced block-like body octahedron in shape, provided witheight planar side faces, each face being triangular and distinguishablefrom all others by a single dimpled pip, or plurality of dimpled pips,all of the six corners of said die being sharppointed and all of thethree marginal edges of each triangular side face being straight andsharp-edged from end to end, all of said faces being of the sainetriangulate dimension in plan, one triangular face having a single pipdenoted l1, the next adjacent face, reading clockwise having four pipsdenoted 4, the next adjacent face having five pips and being denoted S,and the next and final face in the sequence having eight pips and beingdenoted 8, 'whereby the thus prescribed totals around all six cornersequal 18 and the sides 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-3 are diametrically opposed.

3l. As a new article of manufacture, an improved rollable dieconstituting one of the usually used pair of dice, said die comprising auniformly balanced blocklike body octahedron in shape, provided witheight planar side faces, each face being triangular and distinguishablefrom all -others by a single dimpled pip or a plurality of dimpled pipsas the case may be, all of the six corners of said die being convexlyrounded and blunt and all of the three marginal edges of each side facebeing straight and sharpedged, all of said faces being of the sametriangulate dimension in plan, one triangular face having a single pipdenoted 1, the next adjacent face, reading clockwise having four pipsdenoted 4, the next adjacent face having ve pips `and being denoted 5,and the next and final face in the sequence having eight pips and beingdenoted 8, whereby the thus prescribed totals around all six cornersequal 18 and the sides 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8 are diametrically opposed.

4. As -a new article of manufacture, an improved rollable dieconstituting one of the usually used pair of dice comprising ablock-like uniformly balanced octahedron body said body having eightplanar sides each side triangular and distinguishable from -all othersides by a single dimpled pip or a plurality of dimpled pips all sixcorners of said die being convexly rounded and blunt, and all three ofthe marginal edges bordering each side being straight but cham-fered ina lengthwise direction, smooth-finished and slightly convex from one endto the other end, all of said sides being of the same triangulatedimension in plan, one triangular side having a single pip denoted 1,the next adjacent side when read clockwise having four pips denoted 4,the next adjacent side having five pips and being denoted 5, and thenext and nal side in the sequence of sides having eight pips and beingdenoted S, whereby the thus prescribed totals around all six cornersequal 18 and the sides 1-2, 3 4, 5-6 and 7-8- are diametrically opposed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,279,409 9/1918 Murray 273-146D. 60,575 3/1922 Saart 273-146 1,539,015 5/19'25 Mitchell 273-1462,922,652 1/1960 Stange 273-146 3,208,754 9/1965 Sieve 273-146 ANTON O.OECHSLE, Primary Examiner,

A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner.

